Page 23 of The Sweetheart Dance
I’m dreading the Sweetheart Dance which is tomorrow. After the dance, we will be going back to the cabin to pack up and leave. I’m not looking forward to saying goodbye to her again.
I stand up quickly then help Raina get off the ground as well. We take turns dusting off the snow from the other person until we are semi-snow free.
“Want to ride on the ski lift?” Raina asks with an eyebrow raised.
“Sure!”
The ski lifts are only a couple hundred feet from us but it takes us a little while to get there since we are trying to ski. Skiing is a lot harder than I remember it was.
“Today has been really fun,” Raina informs me with her big smile. I love it when she smiles so huge.
“Thank you for letting me tag along,” I inform her while bumping into her lightly.
She staggers a little but I catch her before she loses her footing. “Hey! Watch it!”
Chuckling, I stand in front of the next chair on the lift pulling Raina with me. I’m holding her hand just as the chair hits us on the back of our legs causing us to sit down quickly.
The sun beams down on the majestic mountain’s peaks causing the snow to glimmer like glitter. It is beautiful and romantic.
“Wow,” she whispers next to me.
I place my arm around her shoulders bringing her as close to me as she can get with all of our layers on. We don’t say anything while we take in the beauty of the mountain covered in snow.
It isn’t long before it is time for us to get off the lift and I’m cursing the thought of losing the connection between Raina and me. It feels so perfect being here like this with her. I can’t imagine breaking this connection.
“Time’s up, lovers!” The ski lift operator shouts at us.
We carefully jump off the chair landing in the snow with a thud. I’m not surprised when we both slide a little until falling back on our backs. We laugh at how uncoordinated we both are.
“Want to get something hot to drink?” I ask her.
“Yes, please! I’m absolutely frozen,” Raina informs me.
We take care of our skis by returning them to the ski rental kiosk right outside of the main lobby. Raina looks down at her skis for just a second longer before smiling a little to herself. She hands them back reluctantly to the employee.
“Thank you,” she states before walking into the lobby.
The ski lodge lobby looks like a speakeasy with all of the mugs on the walls, pictures of famous people who have stayed here, couches surrounding the fireplace and then a huge bar set up over in the front. I nod my head over to the bar to see what she wants.
“A peppermint hot chocolate please!”
I lean over and brush my lips against her cold cheek. “Of course. I will be back.”
“Aren’t you Luke Willows?” Someone yells out from the couch furthest away from me.
I smile and wave at him. I’m not trying to take all of the attention for myself right now. I’m trying to show Raina that I’m a good guy.
When did I start to care about that? I’m so screwed.
Chapter Nineteen
Raina
I’m pretty sure I’m frozen all the way through as we walk into the lobby of the ski resort. Luke’s hand is on the small of my back and I can feel the heat of his hand through all of the layers of my clothing
I shiver all the way through.
“Are you okay?” Luke asks.
